Interview your loved one

Start by reminiscing with your loved one about his or her family history, traditions and celebrations. Often, childhood games, homes and pets are good opening topics — especially as Alzheimer's progresses and your loved one has trouble remembering recent events. You might also talk about favorite sports, books, music and hobbies, as well as cultural or historical events.

Depending on the status of your loved one's memory, you might also want to interview neighbors, friends and family members.

Documents also help

Other sources of information might include important papers or personal letters. Consider making copies of anything precious for safekeeping.

Once you create your loved one's memory bank, use it. Pull out photos and other items throughout the day to remind the person of special relationships, events and places.

By documenting your loved one's life story, you can affirm the positive things he or she has done and, possibly, can still do. Even after your loved one's memories fade, creating this kind of treasury shows that you value and respect his or her legacy — and can help remind you who your loved one was before Alzheimer's disease.

Legal Conditions and Terms

Reprint Permissions

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.